Vote of censure: We abstained from an illegality, says Afenyo-Markin

The deputy majority leader, Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, has said the Majority Caucuas in Parliament abstained from an illegality during the vote of censure against Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta on Thursday.

A secret vote by members of Parliament made up of only the Minority in the House failed to receive the right numbers that was expected to kick start the censure after the Majority Caucuas walked out in Parliament.

However, Speaking on the Asaase Breakfast Show on Friday (9 December), Afenyo-Markin said ” We made it known and said we won’t be part of it.”

“When you read the committee’s report, there were no such thing as findings. There were no such thing as recommendations. The Majority in Parliament didn’t boycott the voting. We abstained from an illegality.”

“As a decision taken by the collective, by the caucus, we were ad idem on what we wanted to do and that’s what we did. We saw the whole process as a partisan political enterprise aimed at attacking the finance minister and bringing down this government,” Afenyo-Markin said.

Failure

The motion of vote of censure against the Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta has failed in Parliament.

The Minority voted 136 for the motion.

In his final ruling on the matter, Speaker Bagbin said, ” the vote was 136-0. Now in accordance with Article 82(1) … following the terms of Article 82(1), the vote is accordingly lost.”

The Minority in Parliament required at least 47 from the Majority side and at least two-thirds of the MPs present to succeed.

The Minority members had been calling on their colleagues from the Majority side to support them to censure the minister.

Majority walkout

Before walking out of the House, the Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu indicated that his side cannot support the vote of censure.

He said they cannot be part of a process that was baseless and politically motivated.

Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said the censure motion was out of bad faith and only seeks to embarrass the Finance Minister.

“Just like Pontius Pilate, we are washing our hands off the motion,” Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said before leading the Majority side to walkout.